The Dilemma of Choice
by Lillium Gray
Summary: The wizarding world is threatened to exposure. Lord Thomas Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, is a man who is striving to keep the two worlds separate, no matter the cost. Harry Potter, a son who must choose a side. Full Summary inside. Slash. AU!
1. Prologue

Summary: The wizarding world is threatened to exposure. The Order of Phoenix is a political and ideological organization working for the exposure of the wizarding world and the existence of magic to muggles. Lord Thomas Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, is a man who is striving to keep the two worlds separate, no matter the cost. Harry Potter, child of an ancient Light family, whose parents are one of the main supporters of OoP. Their lives intertwine

Warnings: Eventual Slash, mature content, grammatical errors.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from this.

* * *

**Prologue**

It was his believe that the British wizards were too old-fashioned. Back when he was still living in England with his parents, he knew nothing of politics, of differences in magic, of anything really. But that was when he was naught but three years old.

The year he turned three, his world had completely changed. His brother Jason was born. He could still remember the first time he set his eyes upon the little ugly 'thing' that his mother fondly, yet deceptively called the second most beautiful thing she had set her eyes upon, him obviously being the first. To imagine that he might have looked like that when he was born…

He loved his brother. Regardless of the fact that he hadn't seen him for the past eight years. Jason was a mirror image of his mother, but with his father's eyes. With a temper as fiery as his crimson hair, Jason was a needy and moody child. It was no wonder that his parents tended to pay him more attention. He, himself, had always been quiet, preferring the company of books and house elves. Jason on the other hand, preferred the company of his parents and his godfather Sirius. Jason grew up to love mischief and pranks. He grew up to love knowledge, and above else, magic.

After Jason had been born his parents were forced to pay the newborn child more attention than their three year old heir, and as Jason grew up, he learned that he preferred it that way.

His mother, having been a muggleborn, believed in raising her children without the typical dependence on magic that the pureblood society was so fond of. They lived in the wizarding part of London and they had house elves, but that was as far as his mother was willing to go. His mother, Lilly, was not fond of the idea of having moving portraits of past family members in her house, he suspected that it was because most of them were all purebloods, neither did she want to introduce magic to her children early in their childhood, wanting them to grow up as ignorant as possible. He believed that this was because his mother was afraid of them becoming dependent on magic, as she believed the pureblood society to be, and wished for them to grow up without feeling superior because of magic.

While pureblood-born children were read stories of Merlin and Morgana, of unicorns and centaurs, of dragons and merefolk, he was being told of muggle fairy tales, with muggle unicorns, muggle dragons, evil witches and so on. His mother not only preferred muggle fairy tales to wizarding, but also muggle traditions and holidays. So while the wizarding world celebrated Yule, their family celebrated Christmas.

From when he was born and up to the point Jason was born, he knew little of magic. Mayhap he was a bit dim, now that he thought of it, for there have been several times that he saw his parents perform simple charms here and there, but for whatever reason he never questioned it then. He did not even remember if he preformed accidental magic before Jason's birth, and after… Well, by then he already taught himself to be discreet and to remain quiet.

At three, with the help of house elves, he taught himself to read. The library became his playground. Starting with fairy tales and history books he discovered a world full of magic and wonder.

His life changed once again when he was seven. His parents, after discovering their eldest son's passion for knowledge, believed him to be a genius. His mother was proud, while his father didn't even know what to do with him. In the end it was decided that it would be for the best to send him to India, to one of his mother's friends. Now that he thought about it, he wondered how they thought that sending their child to a foreign country to people that were not even family was 'for the best'. But for the best it was.

Marianne was a small, plump woman, full of live and joy, with a husband named Richard with graying hair and kind, wise eyes. They realized quickly that what he wanted was to learn, and so they indulged him by admitting him to a wizarding academy in Tibet.

Now he was fifteen. He was five foot five, with emerald green eyes and raven hair that he preferred to wear in a low pony tail that just barely brushed his shoulders. In his tanned hands he held a letter from his parents.

Harry James Potter was going back to England to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Damn.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from this.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

It was not easy being Albus Dumbledore. In fact, he would say that some days it was a chore. Oh, there were many advantages of course. After all, his name had a lot of weight. He was admired and internationally respected; he was an idol to many and a hero to the children. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the great defeater of the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald.

However, there were also disadvantages. There were many who envied him for his power and brilliance, for his accomplishments and political position as The Supreme Mugwump at the International Confederation of Wizards and his position as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There were times when he woke up and had to force himself to face the day. These days were the worst, and today was such a day.

* * *

"In 1692, the Confederation instituted the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy to hide the wizarding world from the Muggle world. We have been forced to hide ourselves for 300 years, ladies and gentlemen. I believe it has been long enough. It isn't the 17th Century. There are no witch hunts for us to dread anymore, no persecution to fear. The muggles have grown open minded, what with them believing and wishing to meet vampires and werewolves. They dream of magic! You only have to look at the books they read and the films they watch. No longer would we be tyrannized for our religious beliefs. The muggle world is now full of people with different beliefs, both spiritual and religious. And we have so much to give to each other. Our help would be welcomed! There is so much sickness and disease in the muggle world. Only think what we could accomplish by helping them. We can cure cancer; grow bones overnight, fix eyesight with naught but a spell, cure sexual diseases, even things as simple as a headache or flu, we can cure it all with but a single potion or a spell. And it is not only the muggle world that would benefit from us. There is much for us to learn from them as well. They have adapted and survived with no magic. Their technological advancement and scientific development would only bring us wealth and enrich our society even further. We have much to learn from each other, and I believe it is time, ladies and gentlemen. I believe it is time to expose our existence!"

The assembly broke out in chaos as James Potter sat down. With a slightly quivering hand he took a glass of water and drained it one go. Now that the speech he prepared was delivered, his nerves caught up with him. Yet, he still felt a sparkle of accomplishment. They had finally done it. After extensive planning and plotting, late night meetings and years of recruitment, they had finally done it.

James glanced at Albus as the Supreme Mugwump tried to bring order in to the assembly hall with little success. They had been actively planning this manoeuvre for the past five years, but the idea was in the workings for much longer than that.

After the Dark Lord Grindelwald had been defeated, the Wizarding World prospered. It was as if the war had never happened. The economy was flourishing, the birth rates were higher than they had been since early 18th Century, and the Wizarding Britain was rapidly expanding on all fronts.

Finally, as the assembly started to quite down, James looked around. He could see the mixed emotion on the faces of the many representatives. It was a big risk to bring this issue to the International Confederation of Wizards before taking it up in the British Wizengamot, but they would never gain the support of the majority necessary to authorise this matter for presentation at ICW. The rumours had already been spread in Britain about what they were trying to accomplish, but none believed that they would go through with it. By the time this session would conclude, it would be on the front pages of all the wizarding newspapers. Just as they planned.

"Have you gone completely insane Potter? The muggles have always feared those more powerful than them. You talk of their technology and how it would benefit us, but what about their weaponry? They have weapons that could take out this whole building in a matter of seconds. Intermingling with them would destroy our culture, our nation, and our children! Look at their children. They are rude, with no respect for their elderly, they procreate out of wedlock. Is this what you wish for our children to become like? We must never expose our existence to the muggles!" Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the hall.

Yaxley. Of course the bastard would protest. He was as dark and as pureblood as they come, and he was the main supporter of Riddle, who was perhaps their greatest opposition.

His good old friend Sirius practically sprang up at Yaxley's speech.

"Their weapons would not be any threat to us as long as we would take steps to prevent the possible danger. However, that would only be necessary in the beginning. As soon as they would realize that we mean them no harm and only wish to help them, they would not have any reason to attack us."

"As soon as they realize _we _mean them no harm? And are we always to look over our shoulders for impending attacks? Are we to constantly fear to step out of our homes; are we to just take a chance, a leap of faith of their goodwill? As soon as they realize that we have magic great enough to protect ourselves from them, they will become even more enraged. They will always see us a danger to them, and they would only increase their attempts at removing us from existence. Do you wish for such an existence for us, for our children?"

The hall broke out in chaos once again. The highly esteemed representatives of Wizarding Nations fighting like cats and dogs, screaming and shouting at each other as each tried to get their point across.

Looking towards Albus and catching him looking back, James nodded his head in silent agreement. Yes, everything was going just as planned. The first step had been taken.

* * *

Harry stepped out of the fireplace, brushing away the soot and dust from his cloak. Looking around the Leaky Cauldron, he couldn't help but mentally grimace at the state of the inn. It looked as if the furniture hadn't been changed since late 20's. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised, he was somewhat expecting it, but not to such extent.

Seeing that the barman had noticed him and was heading towards him, Harry quickly gave a polite nod to the man, and turned in the direction of what he supposed was the entrance to the Diagon Alley. Arriving at a brick wall, Harry carefully reached out with his magic and felt for the activation ward. Feeling it give a sort of hum as it admitted him through, he moved towards the busy crowd beneath the clear and bright sky.

He supposed the Diagon Alley did look grand, in an old Victorian sort of way. The stores lined the right and left side of the moving swarm of people, dressed in colourful and numerous fashions. Straight ahead he could see a fountain with an impressive and striking white building, which looked to be made of marble right behind it. The store windows were lined with all sorts of products, everything from cauldrons, golden cages, and latest models of brooms, self-moving quills and a single wand lying on a pillow.

Harry felt like he stepped through time.

Carefully navigating through the wizarding folk, Harry made his way towards the white, marble structure, which he assumed was the bank, since he could see the two wizards stationed outside and at each side of the enormous entrance. Approaching the doorway, Harry noticed an inscription written right above it.

_"Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there."_

Chuckling, Harry moved through and towards the first available goblin he saw behind the counter.

"Greetings ye old one, I need my account from the Indian branch to be transferred to this one."

The goblin looked at him intently for a moment, before barking out, "Name?"

"Harry James Potter, heir of The Ancient House of Potter."

As the goblin sorted out his accounts, Harry took the time to look around and as he observed the British wizarding folk's manner, Harry felt the longing to return back home.

"All done, anything else?"

"That will be all, thank you."

With his business done, he supposed it was time to face his parents.

* * *

"In 1692, the Confederation instituted the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy to hide the wizarding world from the Muggle world."

– _taken from Harry Potter wikia, International Confederation of Wizards.

* * *

_

AN: I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully it will be up the end of the week. The latest - next week. All suggestions are welcome and encouraged.^^


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and half of the conversation in the italics, does not belong to me, as I took it from the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" movie scene and rewrote some of it to suit my needs.

* * *

****Chapter 2**

_Tom turned towards the door. He could hear footsteps coming closer to his room, the last on the left of the dim lit, narrow corridor of his "home". He could hear Mrs. Cole talking to someone, and then a knock on his door. _

"_Tom, you have a visitor." _

_A visitor. In all the ten years that he lived here, there has never been anyone to "visit" him. A man entered the room. _

"_Hello Tom, my name is Albus Dumbledore." _

_Tom remained silent, looking with dark piercing eyes at the stranger. He was old and tall, with a graying beard and hair that reached his shoulders, and clad in a dark grey coat, he blended with the wallpaper. _

"_I'll leave you alone."_

_As Mrs. Cole left, the strange man, Dumbledore, entered the room and closed the door behind him. _

"_Who are you, and what do you want," Tom's voice was sharp; his back straight and tense, as he sat in the chair by the desk. Who was this man? _

"_As I said, my name is Albus Dumbledore, and I'm here to invite you to a boarding school, Hogwarts." _

"_I don't have any money to pay for a boarding school", him, going to a boarding school? Madness._

"_That's all right, there are tuitions for cases such as yours."_

"_Why would I be invited to your school?" Tom felt suspicion rise, and he could not help but grow weary of the man before him._

"_It is a school for special people, with special…gifts."_

_Tom eyed the man sceptically._

"_A boarding school, for "special people"? Are you a doctor? They think I'm crazy you know, is that why you are really here? "_

"_No Tom, what I am is like you. I'm different."_

"_Different? Prove it!"_

_

* * *

_

"_Please professor! I don't want to go back there, they hate me, they think me crazy. Why can't I stay here?"_

"_Tom, we've been over this. You simply cannot stay here. I'm sorry."_

_Tom, now aged twelve, turned away from the man to hide the frustration and anger on his face and in his eyes._

"_Why don't you try and be kind to them, perhaps you will be positively surprised. You have magic Tom. This makes your life much easier than theirs could ever be. We wizards take this life for granted sometimes. We live for much longer, and have therefore more time to live and learn. We have simply more time, while they feel the need to rush through their lives, and are more prone to make bigger mistakes because of that. We have magic to aid us and they don't. Try and be kind to them, Tom."_

_He could never be kind to them, Tom thought with fury. He hated them. Muggles. They did not deserve their kindness, or their help. Professor Dumbledore and he have had this conversations many times, but it didn't change the fact that he would always hate them. The professor never had to live with them; he did not know how cruel they could be when faced with someone or something that was beyond their understanding., beyond what they thought was normal. They did not think, no they judged and acted first, while knowing nothing. _

"_Think about it Tom."_

'_There is nothing to think about, you delusional old man,' he though while giving a nod of agreement._

* * *

Harry looked around the room. It had been eight years, and yet nothing had changed as far as he could see. The sitting room was still the same, with cream wallpaper, dark cherry furniture and forest green curtains. The house was quiet, which he didn't actually expect. As if someone overheard his thoughts, a pop startled him out of his musing.

"Master Harry, oh it has been so long, Master Harry. They have all grown," and then the elf, Puffy, burst out in, what he assumed was happy tears. Just as Harry was going to try and calm the elf down, he heard thundering footsteps heading towards the sitting room, and not a moment later, his mother flew in.

"Oh, Harry, my baby," his mother threw herself at him and squeezed him in a hug. Harry stood there, a little bit stunned, as his mother started crying. Putting his arms around her, only made her cry all the harder, and before he could even get out a word, a man entered the room, his father.

"Harry…"

"Oh, James, just look at him, he looks so much like you, and all grown up now, oh my baby!"

Harry felt awkward. What was he supposed to say at that? How was he supposed to act? He hadn't seen his parents for almost eight years, the only contact they had during that time was through letters, that they exchanged several times a week. It was one thing to put words on paper, a whole other matter to speak face to face. Harry didn't feel that parent-child bond. While he was with Marianne and Richard, the idea of his real parents was somehow superficial to him. Marianne and Richard, though, never took their places in his heart. Growing up, Marianne and Richard, were more like his friends, who just happened to be adults, but whom he could trust to give him a sound advice when he was in need of one, and who allowed him to grow up independent. His mother, on the other hand, always spoke in her letters of wherever he was eating enough, wherever he was happy and had many friends, wherever he had a girlfriend or if he had trouble at school with homework and classes. It disturbed him to admit it, but his parents felt like strangers to him, perhaps with time he would get more comfortable around them, and so with that thought in mind, he forced himself to put on a smile and pretend that everything was fine.

"Mum, Dad, I missed you so much. How are you? How is Jason? In fact, where is Jason," he thought that by asking them a lot of questions, and by showing an enthusiasm about them, it would cover for the awkwardness he felt in his gut.

"Oh, baby, we missed you too. So much. Jason is over at the Weasley's place, he doesn't know that you are coming you see. We thought to surprise him; you are all he speaks about. Are you hungry, Harry? Come I'll make you something to eat."

His father stood there looking at him with eyes full of longing, and so Harry went up to him and cautiously embraced him. This was his father.

James stood there, looking at Harry, his son, his heir. He looked so much like him, but he could already see that that was where their likeness ended. Harry stood tall and proud, making his five foot five frame seem taller, and there was intelligence in his eyes that made him seem older than he was. He could see that his son was feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious with the situation. Harry looked up at him and James felt such a longing at seeing his eldest child, his heir. He went up to him and embraced him, "My son".

* * *

Harry never actually understood why his parents sent him away. He understood that they loved him and were proud of him, but he could not comprehend how and why they would still send him away despite that, and what troubled him the most was, why did they not send Jason away as well. Sometimes he felt like he was abandoned, but then he would receive letters from his parents, full of emotion, radiating longing and love.

"Mum, where are you?"

"Jason, honey, we are in the kitchen. Come, we have a surprise for you". A boy with short auburn hair, and hazel eyes, came running into the room, he was slender and tall for his age of twelve.

"What, is it mum…?" Jason stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the figure sitting at the dining table.

"Harry…?"

Could it really be Harry, his brother? He hadn't seen him for such a long time. Harry left when he was only four, and all he could remember was his wonderful big brother who told him about the most amazing things and who read him the best stories when he had trouble going to sleep. Even when Harry had left, he still remained in contact with him through the Owl Post, and Harry would still tell him of all the amazing things he saw and experienced. Sometimes Jason felt jealous that Harry got to live and explore places like India and Tibet, while he was stuck here in England, in the same old house, with his mother babying him all the time, but he had also been always secretly afraid that they might send him away as well. As it was, he grew up in the company of the Weasley's and Neville.

When Harry left, his parents were sad and he had many times overheard them talking about bringing Harry back home, but then Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, came to their house, and his parents changed. They would work long into the night hours, they would spend less time playing with him, and in the end he spent more and more time with the Weasley's children. He knew it was silly, but he felt strong dislike for the headmaster, for he felt sometimes, that it was his fault that his parents became more absorbed in their work, and that it was Dumbledore's fault that Harry never came back. Until now.

"Hello, Jason," and his big brother smiled. Suddenly Jason felt as if he was a small child once again as he run towards Harry and threw himself at him.

"I missed you too brother", and Harry felt almost as if he was home once again.

* * *

**AN:** _This chapter was mostly used as a transition. Harry will have to start getting used to living with people who will follow his every step. Also, I think it is important to show that the relationship between Jason, Harry and their parents will be rocky from all sides, and this is just the beginning._

_To those of you who want to meet Voldemort, he'll show up, but not for at least several chapters. And to those of you who wanted longer chapters, look forward to meeting the charming and calculating Tom Riddle/Voldemort. When Harry and he meet, then will the story really get going. Right now I'm still getting used to developing a story ^^._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, some of you game me several ideas to implement into the plot, and thanks to everyone who gave it a shot and read the story, I hope you liked it so far._

_Next chapter – Harry's birthday, the backlash from the press and Dumbledore._


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